Combination harvester-thresher



2 Sheets-Sheet l w. F. M GREGOR COMBINATION HARVESTER THRESHER Filed Oct. 20, 1950 "W Wm 7 Sept. 13, 1932.

LRCEEHRCGREGOR,

'WEL

Sept. 13, 1932. w. F. M GREGOR COMBINATION HARVESTER THRESHER Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1950 attorney Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED PATENT. I

v Assieiroa 'ro arouse comrenx, u or anemia, scons n; in ooanonnmon COMBINATION m gma-mann 7 Application fi1ed0ctober 20,'1930. Seria1:No. 489,85 5.

By invention relates to improvements in that type of combination harvester-thresher employed for hillside harvesting, and. particularly to the means for maintaining "the thresher body in equipoiseqwhen. traversing -sloping terrain or ground inequalities, which consists in certain details. of construction, arrangement and operation of partsas will be hereinafter specifically described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, F igurel is a rear elevation of a combine equipped with my improvements; Fig. 2 a planview; Fig. 3, a fragmentary side elevation. of theright-hand side of the thresher when looking forwardly. from the rear thereof, andtakenon the dotted line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an elevation of. the wheel on the left side of the machine, and associated parts, taken on the dotted line 3 -44 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section through the wheel-hub and bearings therefor on the dotted line 55 in Fig. 2; and-Fig. 6, isa detailsectional view of the means for actuating parts of my'improvement, j

a In saiddrawings the numeral 5 indicates the thresher element of the combine supported by the wheels 6 and 7 and 8- the axle and 9 the grain-Wheel of the harvester, indicated in Fig. 1, illustrating the relation of the two elements when traversing a hillside, which elements are flexibly connected by the universal joint 10 in a well known manner. The thresher body is provided with a supporting axle 12 extending from opposite sides thereof, but it will be understood that a stub-axleat each side of the thresher :may'be employed.

As indicated in Fig. 1, it .is necessary for efficient grain separation to maintain the q thresher in level condition, and as such machineis heavy and of a cumbersome character it is my object to provide supporting and leveling means of maximum strength so mounted as to move verticallyiin relationto the thresher body and without swerving under its weight and the many ground irregularities encountered during harvestingoperations, for which purpose mount swingingwheel-supporting frames upon the axle 12 at each. side of themachine. Assaid frame structures and Fig. 5. I Itwill thus be demonstrated in practice, that thewheel 28, mounted upon being preferably assoiciiateld Parts are substantially counter.- 7

v,parts'it will only be necessaryin' the-main to specifically describe one ofsuch equipments.

Upon said axle, 12, which ispreferably composed of. metal piping, frame members 14, 1'5, and 14;, 15", spaced apartbya sleeve 16and which members are prevented from undue lateral movement-by the collars 17 18, and in order tov produce a highlyrigid unit'for the purpose Iv overlap the ends of the frame members about said sleeve 16 and Weld them together so that such I pivotallyi mount frame parts will together freely pivot about support .12. In the oppositeends ofthe frame I mount an axle of reinforced construction for the wheel, as 6, said axle comprising a.tube 20-, having strengthening heads. 21, which heads and themem-bersj1i, 15", preferably composed of I-beam's, are securely; connected by abolt 22, .and in ,the assemblage of the;

which 'underlap the clearly indicated in seen, andI have; so

webs of the; I-beams as mounting in the I-beams as described, for. my especial purpose, is of requisite strength and highly, efficient for the rough usage tofiwhich such a device must be, subject, and also that by simply withdrawing the bolt 22 the wheel with its-axle may be readil-yremoved.- jIn parallel relation-tothe axle,l 2 I secure to thethresher a sh'aft125 having p1nions, 27, each of its ends, said shaft and provided with a worm-wheel-.29, Fig.. 6,

gear 32 atits opposite end adapted source of power on from The direction .ofrotation of a curved rack-barfiO, 3,-the .on its convex or rear edge,iwhile enclosed within a tube :26,

.partsthewheel-jhub i6 is fittedclosely within the flanged; collars 23' is, governed by the clutch 37f whichis shiftedby the arm 38' extending .jfromfthe-shifter-rod 39. Connected toithe frame 15'is teeth; being a curved rack-bar .42 is mounted upont he' op- "posite framelo, Fig. 4, the teeth of which bar lower ends adapted .to contact with the end 45 Y of a trip-rod 46 which is connected 'at47 to the shifter-rod 39. From the foregoing description it W111 be understood that when thethresher'is on level ground, and the clutch 37 in neutral position,

the wheel frames will have assumed parallel relation horizontally to the thresher as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4,'bu t--as the machineencounters irregular sloping ground and either of the drive gears 33, 34, are engaged by'the clutch 37, through manipulation of trip-rod 46"and shifter-rod 39 the shaft 31 will be rotatedso thatitsworm will in turn rotate 2 shaft 25 andthe pinions 27, 28, thereon, all

rotating in the same direction. As the teeth of therack-bars and '42 are arranged in reverse relation the pinion 27 will actuate-rackbar 40 (and consequently the frame and wheel "'25 associated therewith) either upwardly or downwardly, while pinion 28, rotating in the direction of-plnion 27, will loweror raise rack-bar 42 in a direction opposite to that of the bar 40, as'indioated in-Fig. 1,-so that as *3!) wheel 7 is passing over gradually increasing high ground, and therefore rising, the wheel 6 will be simultaneously lowering to follow the incline over-which it passes, and conse- =qlL11ently under all undulating conditions of "35 t e ground theframes 14, 15, -and14, 15,

acting as cranks, adapt the wheels to the varying terrain, in which manner the thresher body is constantly poised and maintained in level position without raising 'or lowering irrespectiveof ground inequalities. In circumstances where the'wheel 6 descends sufficiently so that the stop 43-strikes the triprod 45the'latter through its connection with the shifter-rod '39 declutches whichever of the drive gears 33, 34, may be in engagement with driven gear 32, whereupon shaft 31 will cease to rotate, and by its .worm connection with shaft 25 will prevent 'furtheractuation of the rack-bars by the pinions on said-latter shaft. However, should said wheel 6 encounter a steep grade so that it is accordingly raised'by its rack-bar to the upwardlimit of movement oflthe latter its lower stop '44 will contact with trip-rod 45 to' declutch the r drive gears in the manner before stated. It will therefore be seen that the up and down-movements of.

said wheel are controlled by its'rack-bar and that the thresher will always maintain its level-position, neither moving upwardly nor downwardly, and while I have described the automatic manner of actuating'trip-rod 45-46 it will also be understood that said rod may be manipulated by other means, for example, it

may be provided-with an extension 46 ex- 05 tending to or-over the top or other part of ,4. Ina machine :ofthe class- V v wheeled frames pivotally connected to the op- -driv-ing said shaft.

'1'. In a'"machine of he class described, a

thresher, a frame embodyinga wheel connected to one side of therthresher a curved rackibar onftheflframe having teeth in its convex edge, wheeled suplemental frame on theoppositeside of the thresher, a rackbar on said latter frame having teeth in its concave edge, a continuous axle upon which the wheels of said frame are mounted, a shaft having'pinions at its opposite ends engaging the rack-bars, and power operated means for actuating each of-said pinions to adjust the rack-'bars-in': opposite directions to position the wheel associated therewith in such relationas to mainta-in the equipoise fof the thresher when traversing irregular and sloping ground. f H 1 2. The combination, with a machine of the class described, of supporting means ateach side of the machine, .frames pivoted to the supporting means, awheel mounted in each frame, a rack-bar on each frame one of said bars-having teeth in its'convex edge and the other embodying 'teeth inits concave edge, a shaft supported. by-themachine, means at each end .ofxthe shaft engaging the teeth of said rack-bars .respectively, and means for rotating s'aid 'shaft andengaging. means to adjust saidframes vertically in opposite directions toeach other.' i i .3. In a;machine ofthe class described, a thresher, wheeled frames-pivotally connected to opposite sides ofthe thresher, a 'curved rack-bar on each-of said frames the teeth of saidbars-being disposed in reverse relation to each other, and a shaft on the thresher having pinions at. its opposite ends engaging with and simultaneouslyactuating said bars in opposite directions so that the wheel of one of the frames will descend while. the opposite wheel ascends to maintain the thresher in level position and vertically immovable when traversingground-inequalities} described,

positesides of i said. machine, a curved rackbar on each of saidframes, ashaft on the machine having pinions at its opposite ends engaging withandisimultaneously actuating said'rack-bars 'in'opposite directions so that the wheel of one of said frames will descend while the other wheel ascends to maintain the machinein level conditionfand means for 5. In a machine of the class described, wheeled frames pivotally connected to the bar on each' -"side of said frames, a shaft on opposite sides of'said machinqa curved rack- V e the machine having pinions at its opposite ends engagingwith and simultaneously actuating said rack-barsin opposite directions a so that the Wheel of one of said frames Will descend while the other Wheel ascends to maintain the machine in level condition, and" means for discontinuing the actuation of the rack-bars to maintain the Wheels in predetermined position.

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature.

WALLACE F. MACGREGOR. 

